7 Ways to save time on your social media

Social Media is a hungry beast! It needs to be fed/updated regularly, takes lots of time, and when you are busy and tired, sometimes its last thing in the world you want to be having to do. If you want to show that you are current, consistent and have a great regular digital presence, positing often and regularly is the best idea. The problem is time! We are all so busy and extra time in front of the computer, racking our brains on what to post every day or so, while trying to come up with relevant, new, valuable and insteresting content is exhausting.

The question is, how can we get around this challenge? The answer isn't just one thing, but rather there's a number of ways you can manage it more easily. I'll provide 7 ideas below which can save you time, create the outcomes you are looking for with less worry and take the stress away. Here's the list!

1. Create a Social Media Calendar for the Year - plan out your content in advance. This helps save time, as you won't be jumping onto the computer or your phone last minute trying to post about something. Being able to plan gives you more control and oversight. Also, you won't miss anything important to you and your client community such as showing appreciation for the special days of the year, including festivals, holidays and events. Eg. Australia Day, Easter, Mothers Day, Christmas Day, New Years.
   

2. Topics to post about. Create a list of 5-10 core topics/themes your audience (specifically your ideal client) would value and find most engaging or interesting. It may be based on the questions you know they are asking you, the needs they express as relevant to your business and the problems you solve for your clients. These are called Content Pillars. For example, Content Pillars for a Dietician could be:
   

   1. Dietary Supplements,

   2. Food Groups,

   3. Cooking for health,

   4. Recipes for balanced meals,

   5. Psychology of eating,

   6. Planning meals

   7. Kids/Teens Meals

List the sub-topics that fall under each one. Write out the how you will address each of these topics. It could be that you answer questions such as: how to...,

why...,

benefits of...,

overcoming challenges with,

myths about...,

7 ways to....

or examples of.

If you aren't sure, or want inspiration, check out the social media of other providers who in the same industry and offer similar products and services as your business

3. Use Canva - this is a graphic design tool (which has a free level, or paid if you want more features) that helps you create beautiful content, stores your images and allows you to use their tools to link directly into your social media accounts.

4. Have a bank of images ready to go that are relevant for your social media content and keep together in a library. Take some time to search for the best images from free platforms such as Pixabay or Pexels or purchase through Shutterstock. You could also hire a great local photographer to take the images you want, that best represent you, your product/services and show your clients using your services.

5. Schedule your Social Media in advance - there are tools you can use that allow you to upload your social media posts in advance, so they drop at the date and time you stipulate. This way, you only need to be spending time on social media maybe once a month, or less. When you have prepared your social media posts in advance, you can then upload them and have them planned out. The tools to help you do this include later.com, hootsuite, meta (Facebook Scheduling). Some are paid and others are free.

6. Batch the work - try doing your social media in set blocks of time that you can book into your calendar. This way you won't be as distracted and you get it done faster.

7. Outsource or Delegate your Social Media Management - There are many digital marketing agencies available who can manage your social media so you don't have to. You may have a partner or team-mate who loves social media and would be happy to assist you. Why not ask them if they'd like to assist? If you consider how much time it takes you, the value of your time and where else you could be spending your energy, this could be a great investment if you have the funds or people available.

Good luck with your social media! If you'd like help, you can book in a free discovery call here.